Training belt

ABSTRACT

A waist belt having at least two rectangular blocks secured thereon, wherein the blocks are removeable and adjustable in height and width, and wherein the blocks are of sufficient length and width to keep the wearer&#39;s arms and back in the correct fighting position.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention was first described in and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/889,850, filed Aug. 21, 2019, the entire disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Field

One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to an athletic training belt configured to improve the wearer's stance during boxing or martial arts training sessions. A particular embodiment utilizes a waist belt having at least two rectangular blocks secured thereon, wherein the blocks are removeable and adjustable in height and width, and wherein the blocks are of sufficient length and width to keep the wearer's arms and back in the correct fighting position.

Description of the Related Art

Boxing and martial arts training have become increasingly popular as more people seek to diversify their workout routines and improve their self-defense skills. According to statistics from the National Association of Professional Martial Artists (NAPMA), there are over 28,000 martial arts schools in the United States, 72 American-based martial arts associations, 53 martial arts publications, 88 martial arts equipment and supply companies, 3 million martial arts websites, and over 600 martial arts tournaments in the United States each year.

Pugilism, or boxing, has also become increasingly popular as an alternative gym workout as well as serious sport. Many gyms have punching bags or punching dummies that allow users to practice repeated punches. For years boxers have utilized punching bags and large stuffed, punching dummies as targets to improve their boxing skills. A typical, conventional punching bag has a generally pear-shaped configuration and is formed of a leather cover having an inflated rubber bladder therewithin. A conventional punching bag is about one foot in length and typically hangs from an overhead omnidirectional swivel.

In both boxing and martial arts, a proper stance is critical to proper defense as well as serving as a base for directing solid power to each hand. Without a proper stance, the boxer or martial artist will not be able to throw a wide range of punches or effectively defend against attack. It is a well-known boxing and martial arts fundamental that the ideal placement of the arms is to have the elbows positioned in front of the body. This position helps to protect the fighter's rib cage and automatically keeps their hands up which also helps get the fighter's body weight behind the initiation of punches.

It is also understood that when a boxer or martial artist keeps their elbows in close to their body, stress to the shoulder joints is greatly reduced. Although this position is rooted in basic fundamentals, it can be difficult to properly teach a new boxer or martial artist to adopt this fighting style.

Various devices have been created as training aids to improve the skills of boxers and other athletes. Some of these are described in the following issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,685,495; 770,869; 4,749,185; 264,931; 5,700,229; 426,944; 318,766; and 3,785,643. However, none of these devices assist in teaching proper fighting stance.

Thus, there is a considerable need for the present invention and one skilled in the art will continue to understand this need in the following summary and furthermore in the drawings and detailed description of the drawings. Accordingly, what is needed in the boxing and martial arts training arena is an apparatus that can be worn by the user that will assist in training the wearer to maintain a proper fighting stance.

SUMMARY

The present invention is a boxing or martial arts training belt having adjustable attachments that force the user to maintain a proper fighting stance. In one or more embodiments, the training belt stretches and conforms to fit the body of the wearer and has attachment points for at least two attachments in the form of sturdy stabilizing blocks wherein the stabilizing blocks are adjusted to place the elbows and arms in the correct fighting position. As the wearer throws punches and maneuvers their body during training, the properly adjusted stabilizing blocks attached to the training belt keep the wearer's elbows positioned in front of the body.

In an additional embodiment, the training belt comprises a neoprene material that assists in lumbar support and may include an additional lumbar support insert. In this particular embodiment, the stabilizing blocks, comprised of a bacteria resistant foam material, may hinge at the top to provide additional adjustable support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view, partial side view of a user wearing the training belt and properly adjusted stabilizing blocks under the arms.

FIG. 2 is a layout view of the folded training belt and the stabilizing blocks detached from the belt.

FIG. 3 is a front view, partial side view of a user wearing the training belt and properly adjusted stabilizing blocks in the open position under the arms.

FIG. 4 is a depiction of the stabilizing block showing hook and loop attachment.

FIG. 5 is a depiction of the stabilizing block of FIG. 4 showing hinged top in open position.

FIG. 6 is another depiction of the stabilizing block of FIG. 4 in open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In this regard, the present embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, the embodiments are merely described below, by referring to the figures, to explain aspects of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the training belt for improving fighting stance comprises a belt 10 and stabilizing blocks 20, wherein the belt 10 mounts on the hips and is constructed of a suitably flexible material; and wherein the belt comprises a hook and loop fastening system. The stabilizing blocks 20 are comprised of a bacteria resistant foam material that is easily cleaned with soap and water. The belt 1 is comprised of a neoprene material that is suitably stretchable and conformable to the wearer's hips and waist.

In another embodiment, the training belt 10 comprises a lumbar support portion 12 that may contain an optional lumbar support pad for additional lumbar support. The belt 10 comprised of a neoprene material may be one size fits all and provides some lumbar support due to its adjustable fit and compressibility. The belt is also easily cleaned with soap and water. The removeable lumbar support pad is configured to be placed in a pocket on the rear of the belt. The lumbar support pad can be constructed of any suitable material, such as plastic or stiff leather.

It is contemplated that the training belt 10 is adjusted to fit the wearer's hip and waist by tightening or loosening the belt and securing it by a hook and loop fastening system. In other embodiments, the belt may be secured by any suitable fastening system. The belt may be constructed of any suitable flexible material. The belt can range in width from 3″ to 5″ and can range in length from 26″ to 46″.

In one embodiment, the stabilizing blocks 20 comprise hook and loop strips to secure them to the training belt 10. The stabilizing blocks may also comprise a hinged section to make blocks shorter in height and wider in width. When the stabilizing blocks are in the open position as shown in FIG. 5, a snap closure or hook and loop closure mechanism will be positioned on the side of the block to secure the top section. In an exemplary embodiment, the stabilizing blocks have a width of approximately 4″; the bottom portion has a height of 8″; and the top hinged portion has a height of 4″. Accordingly, in the closed position, the stabilizing block has a height of 12″. The stabilizing blocks may be constructed of any suitable sturdy material. In an exemplary embodiment, the stabilizing blocks are constructed of a bacteria resistant foam material.

In one exemplary embodiment, the training belt comprises an adjustable belt having a front face, a back face, and a hook and loop fastening system; a lumbar support area on the rear of the belt comprising a pocket configured to hold a removeable lumbar support pad; at least two stabilizing blocks attached to the belt by a hook and loop fastening system; wherein the training belt keeps the wearer's elbows positioned in front of the body in a proper fighting stance.

The training belt is generally used by first securing the adjustable belt securely around the hips and waist as shown in FIG. 1. After the belt is properly secured around the user's waist, the stabilizing blocks are secured on the side hip area of the training belt by the hook and loop fastening system and adjusted as shown in FIG. 1 to keep the wearer's elbows in front of the body and in a proper fighting stance. The correctly adjusted training belt will force the wearer not to drop their hands after punching and will keep their elbows in a defensive position.

It is also envisioned that the present training belt could be used in other areas other than boxing or martial arts, such as weight training and other exercises or sports requiring proper stance. 

1. An adjustable training belt for training the wearer to keep their elbows in a proper fighting stance comprising an adjustable belt having a front face, a back face, and a hook and loop fastening system; a lumbar support area on the rear of the belt comprising a pocket configured to hold a removeable lumbar support pad; at least two stabilizing blocks attached to the belt by a hook and loop fastening system; wherein the training belt keeps the wearer's elbows positioned in front of the body in a proper fighting stance.
 2. The adjustable training belt of claim 1 wherein the adjustable belt is constructed of a neoprene material.
 3. The adjustable training belt of claim 1 wherein the lumbar support pad is constructed of plastic.
 4. The adjustable training belt of claim 1 wherein the stabilizing blocks are constructed of a bacteria resistant foam material.
 5. The stabilizing blocks of claim 4 wherein the blocks comprise a hinged portion for adjustment of height and width.
 6. A method for teaching a proper fighting stance comprising the use of the adjustable training belt of claim
 1. 